* Posts by cortland

1167 publicly visible posts • joined 29 Mar 2012

US trade commish kicks off patent-troll-nixing plan

cortland

Re: Pointless?

This hints that the Commission will look at claimants being an actual tech company, and not a shell corporation with a (usually vacant) leased office in Texas, whose income is from avoid-the-lawsuit payments.

Samsung quits desktop PC biz, will stick to all-in-ones and portables

cortland

The hand writing on the wall was Korean

When Samsung took over computer maker AST Research, I saw the hand writing on the wall -- in Korean -- and resigned in early 1997. AST had acquired Tandy's computer businesses in 1993 and with it some advanced products such as the GriD Convertible, a laptop whose keyboard was hidden under the screen in one of its configurations, allowing use of an RF "pen;" an early form of the tablets now flooding the market..

However, Samsung management -- at least at AST -- was so rigid as to later drive many other employees away beside myself and, as Wikipedia put it, had to close that enterprise due to "a mass defection of research talent."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AST_Research

http://astmachines.com/

AST -- Nobody Compares. Hardly anyone remembers. Sic semper tyrannosaurus.

Quantum transistors at room temp

cortland

I like it

"Connect the dots" logic!

India's outsourcers fume over new US immigration bill

cortland
Paris Hilton

And what DO they mean

What do they mean by "service our customers," eh?

Paris. Because

Desperate Venezuelans wiped clean of bog roll

cortland

Re: Venezuela, the place where all ideological experiments are proven to fail

Well maybe -- but so is Morris Dancing a tradition. That might be an improvement on recent Venezuelan democracy, however.

What do you mean WHY is Sony PS4 so pricey in Oz?

cortland

Because they can, mate.

New material enables 1,000-meter super-skyscrapers

cortland

Re: So in the race to build the tallest elevator we have reached the Finnish line?

I think they've lapped you.

At #guardiancoffee, we can now taste the future through a PRISM!

cortland

Err

How MANY quid pro quo? Where's my wallet? Oh! It's quite a few pounds lighter.

REVEALED: The gizmo leaker Snowden used to smuggle out NSA files

cortland

Re: Root password, sure, but why wasn't the data encrypted?

-- and only someone with suitable privileges would be able to reinstall them. --

Ah. You mean like a SYSADMIN? Oh, wait... wasn't he one?

cortland

Re: Root password, sure, but why wasn't the data encrypted?

... but you can bet that Tommy sees!

EU signs off on eCall emergency-phone-in-every-car plan

cortland

No cycling without a transponder, young lady

And just as I've come up with a design for a car with no electrical system at all, powered by hydrogen gas. Call it a "Hindenberg." You'll want to turn off the carbide lamps while refueling.

Japan proposes NSA-style agency and new snooping laws

cortland

They know how it's done

From Wikipedia:

(特別高等警察 Tokubetsu Kōtō Keisatsu), often shortened to Tokkō (特高 Tokkō) was a police force established in 1911 in Japan, specifically to investigate and control political groups and ideologies deemed to be a threat to public order.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokubetsu_K%C5%8Dt%C5%8D_Keisatsu

Boffins read memory bits with light

cortland

What Danny4 said.

It's official: 'tweet' an English word – not just in the avian sense

cortland
Paris Hilton

So is

So is "tit." And "titter" -- NOT a verb!

Paris? Just because.

Whoever recently showed us the secret documents: Do get in touch

cortland
Coat

Re: Somewhere in the depths of Prism

I'd rather fight:

http://file.vintageadbrowser.com/q5jzveojkhwhfw.jpg

cortland

A cunning PLAN, perhaps.

cortland
Pint

Re: Question

I'm taking one.

Beer is why.

Boffins fire up old dish to send interstellar SMS

cortland

Re: Won't reach....

But (translation):

"Captain, Thing; we have received coordinates!"

cortland

Re: Except...

-- will get cuffed for paedo --

Cuffed, stretched, leashed, rrngnged, splooed, pressed, dried or frozen, eh?

Leaked Obama brief reveals US cyber defense, offense policy

cortland

Re: FTW

Odd you should mention that. From a Spam bucket:

From: "True Match.com" <pederasty@penne.alwaystruth.in

To: [redacted]

Subject: Get Matched Today – Search for Singles in Your Area

Albert Einstein brings cheese and clean pyjamas to space station

cortland
Joke

In other news

In other news, NASA announced overnight it is sending a rescue mission to the International Space Station for a crew member who mistook a tube of epoxy patching material for peanut butter. The unnamed crew member is temporarily being fed through a drinking straw, but will require surgery to remove internal adhesions.

So, who ought to be the next Doctor Who? It's up to YOU...

cortland

Youth in Asia

Hu?

NSA Prism: Why I'm boycotting US cloud tech - and you should too

cortland

Interesting times

What I thought of when I first read this story on the news was that we in the USA had finally copied what Britain had been doing for a very long time. At one time (and perhaps still) the UK required a copy of every telegram sent be provided to the government. And now we've caught up.

Is it a race?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9180191/New-powers-to-record-every-phone-call-and-email-makes-surveillance-60m-times-worse.html

If done here as described by our government, this has been functionally equivalent to letting the FBI and the spy agencies have a copy of the addresses and return addresses on every piece of mail. Defenders of the program say they weren't opening the letters. Complicating things is that a even a targeted approach would still require being able to intercept the communications.

We do live in "interesting times."

4G LTE: Good for tweets and watching Dr Who. Crap at saving lives

cortland
Black Helicopters

Re: TETRA band usage

Given that in the EU even consumer electronics must meet RF immunity standards, that is really quite odd. Are you SURE "they" aren't irradiating your brains? (Does that show up first in government?)

cortland
FAIL

Re: Imagine

-- a result of the US adopting LTE as the only technology for public safety --

Say "US politicians and their money-grubbing technologically illiterate capitalist friends adopting ..."

Public safety professionals who know what is needed on the scene? Not so much. Hardly any, in fact.

There are enough "digital" communication system problems already. See for example http://blog.tcomeng.com/index.php/2009/digital-trunked-radio-system-failures/

Most of those problems are the result of skinflint politicians and strapped-for-cash taxpayers being unable or unwilling to fund underlying infrastructure. Some of it is NIMBY on antennas. Some of it is the infrastructure. Some of it is portables' batteries lasting half an hour (a small exaggeration). And some of it is regulators persuaded to make channels so narrow only compressed signals will fit.

Analog FM is actually preferred by folks who enter burning buildings.

LTE will probably be ten times worse. IMO

cortland
Flame

Imagine

Imagine firefighters inside a burning building, just a few feet/meters/metres away from each other in the smoke, unable to communicate because a base station can't be reached through metal in the walls; police, perhaps in pursuit, whose comms keep dropping off network as they pass obstructions behind which no additional towers had been funded to permit coverage, and all this (as pointed out) where direct voice communication is not designed into the service. Could that be because it isn't billable? Hmm.

Nor do such devices have sufficient power to provide direct comms at the ranges ordinary analog transceivers do, the batteries being only large enough to reach a base station expected to be pretty much line-of-sight to the user and small enough to fit inside an almost matchbook-size enclosure.

Flames, because there there's smoke...

Wonder substance pulses QUADRILLION lasers per second

cortland

Re: why does the world stick to a few wavelengths for communications?

THANK you. Now I don't have to add this.

EU boffins in plan for 'more nutritious' horsemeat ice cream

cortland

Re: Baby cow flavoured ice cream

Well... it's not Kosher!

Kettle 'which looks like HITLER' brews up sturm in a teacup

cortland
Big Brother

Robin says

Holy Tea Party, Batman!

Big Brother -- because there's no Big Sister icon

May threatens ban on 'hate-inciting' radicals, even if they don't promote violence

cortland

Re: Won't be able to post hate comments

Oh good! Preachers. ministers and priests, forbidden from saying everyone else deserves Hades.

Mozilla teams up with Foxconn for Firefox 'fondleslab'

cortland

Re: "Foxconn Fire"?

Hmm. Is this like Samson's foxes? Great burning batteries, Batman!

cortland
Paris Hilton

That's too bad

But we've still got Windows!

And we've always got Paris.

Moss reanimates after 400 years in DEEP FREEZE

cortland
Headmaster

Re: Dare I go here?

Encyclical, even.

Grammar, because if you don't have a bishop, a son of a bishop will do.

cortland

Re: Moss reanimates?

Nah, everyone knows he's retired.

http://www.classicsmonthly.com/2011/06/09/sir-stirling-moss-retires-%E2%80%93-no-more-racing/

Veteran researchers: Cheapo US biz R&D risks innovation FAIL

cortland
Thumb Down

Re: Best Practice Cowards

It was impossible to notice that a few employers I worked for wanted everyone to produce new patents -- but NO ONE to stop working on other things. It got so tight in recent years that design engineers were subject to lower annual ratings if they went over the hours forecast by unrealistic management. Worse, I've seen "Quality" defined in one firm's corporate documents as "following all written procedures.

But you can't develop *new* products, let alone do research, with Lean Six Sigma process control.

IMO.

Gospodin Dostoyevsky, You are (again) late with the currently due chapter of Crime and Punishment. You will not be paid for any work submitted until you are completely caught up! Get to work -- or see how you like living on groats.

Stand by for PURPLE KETCHUP as boffins breed SUPER TOMATOES

cortland
Alien

Do they fly?

Is it a flying purple people eater? (youtube)

cortland

Ah. Ketchup that removes the nitrosamines. And the flavor.

They'll go VIMES over it.

Dialog Bluetooth chip boasts battery life of four YEARS

cortland
Paris Hilton

Feeling Blue, Are We?

Bluetooth for EVERYTHING.

So why not Paris?

Soylent Corporation prepares to DEFEAT FOOD

cortland
Pint

Old stuff

Old stuff; there are already more than a few liquid canned weight-gain or supplemental nutrition drinks on store shelves.

Beer is better.

FLABBER-JASTED: It's 'jif', NOT '.gif', says man who should know

cortland
Big Brother

Da zdravitz!

cortland
Alien

And at least on THIS gig

... it's "jigaHertz" and "jigaByte" too. Per Tektronix, anyway. Jo to it!

More honored in the breach, etc.

Prenda lawyers miss sanctions deadline

cortland

Can we go after the RIAA next

For similar tactics, of course.

Curse you, old person, for inventing computers!

cortland
Boffin

Re: A Stunning 'Senior Moment'

That is so good it is too good to be true.

But it could be. Heck, it SHOULD be.

I was playing with electronics and tube (valve) radios in the mid and late 1950's and worked on radios tuned with a crank and run by a motor generator in the mid 1960's. Was working on minicomputers the size of a Morris Minor in 1983 when I retired from the US Army and within a few years we sold our first laptops. It might be convergent evolution, but the rear panels of most desktops today looked the ones I had made for my employer in the 90's.

I own a binocular microscope now to work on my own Amateur Radio sets. And I need it!

Prankster 'Superhero' takes on robot traffic warden AND WINS

cortland

They DID! They DID!

They called el Reg journalists!

Calloo callay!

France weighing 'culture tax' on phones, slabs, PCs, TVs

cortland
Thumb Down

Extra if

You don't WANT to watch it.

On the hunt for a new ampere

cortland

Re: The problem is how many electrons in an Ampere.

There goes the cheap multimeter.

And small; where's my crane?

cortland
Headmaster

Re: They need to create a framework

"Mile" is (arguably) a decimal based unit; it's 1,000 Legionary (Roman) paces, thus the Latin "miles".

Errant pedantry, up with which we need not foot.

Icahn, SAM to give MickeyD the boot if they take over Dell

cortland

How the sharks feed

For a candid look at how Icahn et similis work, read Dan Raviv's 2004 book "Comic Wars" over the fight to control Marvel Comics and the Spider Man(tm) trademark.

excerpt from the Library Journal editorial review:

The major story is of the battle for control waged by Ronald Perelman, who bought Marvel in the late 1980s, and Carl Icahn, who began buying Marvel bonds in an effort to take over the company. Ironically, neither Perelman nor Ichan was ever interested in comics (both bragged that they never looked at the product); rather, they were obsessed with profit and personal vendetta. A parallel story deals with Ike Perlmutter and Avi Arad, two entrepreneurs with Toy Biz who had a significant interest in Marvel, its characters, and further sustaining the enterprise over the long term. While the era and the situations differ, Comic Wars is in the vein of The White Sharks of Wall Street.

It's worth noting that Marvel had had to enter bankruptcy during this tussle; when the Bankruptcy Judge was asked to protect holders of one Marvel bond issue, his acid rejoinder on the consequences of buying bonds whose offer said they were not going to be repaid was a real classic. I'd quote it if I could find my copy of the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Comic-Wars-Marvels-Battle-Survival/dp/0785116060

How did something so small and pink cause so much trouble?

cortland

Re: Finger print readers

Semicolonoscopy; right?

Nokia shareholder tells CEO Elop he's going to hell

cortland
Big Brother

But...

They have Lean Six Sigma and good metrics; they HAVE To succeed.